210 Days - A Habit Times 10?

Back in the spring, we things started to shut down, I was concerned that I needed some routine in my life. I was unemployed and soon my kids were going to be home all day, every day for at least a while. (It turned out they were home for the rest of the school year but even when they started 'school' online there was little routine to what they were doing.) The reality of Schmursday was about to be very real for us. Family dinners each night (in spite of crazy schedules for other meals), semi-standard bedtimes (maybe not normal but at least consistent) and a daily walk were my best stab at having routine.

Little did I know when I started my plan to walk at least 30 minutes a day that I would be sitting here in the fall, having completed my 210th day in a row yesterday. It feels good. I have always heard it takes 21 days of repition to make a habit and I can tell you that having walked that many days consistently, I don't want to not walk. Even when it would be easier to just chill and not worry about it, I still recognize that I need to find a time to get out there. I would hate for a silly reason to be the reason that my streak comes to an end...that is serious motivation.

I would say that over 95% of my walks have been over the same space, around my neighborhood. I have 'met' many other people that live in my neighborhood and although I haven't had an extended conversation with them, they are a friendly and familiar face when we cross paths on our individual journeys or while they are working in their yards. I have come to meet most of the neighborhood dogs and know which ones are a little too yippy, which ones don't like people walking near their yards and which ones are so well behaved, patient and kind. I have watched the flowers, tress and bushes through three seasons. There are some really pretty plants that I will consider next time I update my landscaping.

The few not around my nieghborhood were to the ice cream shop with my husband; twice around the pool while my daughter was at practice; once around a park with my brother, his wife and our girls and once with his wife near their house; twice around the car dealership while my car was being serviced for a warranty issue; and once around the hotel while traveling for a night.

Most of the time, my weather has been good. Sure, I have adapted to morning, afternoon or evening to hit the 'best' weather for the time of year or on a daily basis. I had one walk where there were a few pop up showers and I had to pause under a tree for a while (timer paused) and then continued my journey tree to tree to maximize my walk time and to keep reasonably dry. I had one wear I simply didn't have enough time and had to finish the last 5 minutes walking a loop around my first floor.

My committment was at least 30 minutes and I have walked anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour, with the majority around 45-50 minutes.

I am glad that I made the committment and have stuck with it. It really does feel good. I know that it has been a huge help mentally - a chance to get away from things and decompress. I know that each day, I am walking hills and getting my heart rate elevated and helping to keep myself healthy. When my friends joke about the Covid 20, I know that my walking consistently has offset my less than stellar eating and drinking habits over the past seven plus months. I know that working remote I simply don't get the steps I would at the office - to/from car, to/from coffee pot, to/from meetings, and so on. It used to be that on a typical day I would get 10K at the office without a walk and now, I'm not always able to get that many even with a walk. My hope is that I will keep up the walking even as other parts of life return to normal and I can couple improved eating, a more active day and my walks to help me lose weight too.

This is one habit that I hope I can keep up for the long term. What new habits do you have?

Bright, Sunshiny Day

Wednesday is Day 12 of Social Distancing and Day 2 of the Stay At Home order. I've started to lose track of how many days its been and sometimes have to count what day it is.

Wednesday was a bright, sunshiny day with birds chirping and reasonably warm out. When I went out for my daily walk, there were simply more people out and lots more cars too. Most of the groups out were families playing basketball or scooting around the block but there were reports that there were groups congregating at parks (wondering how much was they all had the same idea and how much was coordinated meeting). (Un)Fortunately, on Thursday morning they posted a note saying that the skate park (as an example) was closed. They had hoped to keep it open for recreation and fresh air but because too many people were gathering there that to be compliant they had to close it for the time being.

My kids got out and spent some time in the backyard, my son and husband threw the baseball, my daughter spent time playing on the swing set and riding scooters.

Wednesday evening, with my doors and windows open, I also decided to bake. We have stuff in the house but everyone seemed to be looking for that baked good option, so I made a batch of chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies, a batch of caramel macchiato biscotti and a batch of M&M and chocolate chip biscotti. They smelled great and tasted even better. Hopefully, they last us a week or so, but with everyone home all day, I'm not sure how likely that is.

Wednesday evening was spent like many other recent evenings. Curled up in the family room watching some tv.

I'm looking forward to Thursday, which is supposed to be more sunny and warmer.

How are you holding up? What are you doing to occupy your day?

Staying Active - Mind & Body

This experience really is unlike any other. I think I have heard the word unprecedented at least 1000 times in the past week.

Here in Ohio, I think we are at the point where it might be easier to keep a list of things that are open. I get it, whether you refer to it as sheltering in place, isolation, social distancing, or some other phrase, the goal is to keep people apart to mitigate or at least slow the spread.

With schools closed, our library closed, and the gyms closed, keeping the mind and body active is a new challenge, an unfamiliar challenge. It is funny how dependent you become on the outside world for things to engage your mind and keep you moving.

Our schools are treating this week as a series of calamity days, because fortunately, we hadn't yet taken any snow days this year. This is to allow the teachers to put together plans for distance learning and to find ways to remedy for students that don't have access to a computer and/or the internet at home. Even with that, both the kids start their day with some reading. My daughter because she likes it and my son because he has a book that they are reading in school that he figures he can at least pick away at. Then, my son does the homework from his math syllabus that his teachers gave him a while back. I'm leveraging LinkedIn Learning to learn some new things and to enhance my resume. I should be reading...but just haven't been motivated to read a book, maybe too much time reading on the computer. In anticipation of the closure of school, I also picked up a puzzle and we are spending some time working on that.

My daughter is also interested in baking and cooking, right up until when she isn't. She is great at starting but soon I find that I 'can just finish' it. We have had cupcakes and muffins so far. I am sure we will do more baking and cooking. It helps pass the time, is a good life skill, and is entertaining. My daughter also was supposed to be in home ec starting this week. I offered to bring out my sewing machine and teach her but she is willing to wait on that one.

We are trying to get outside each day for some physical activity too. Fortunately, we have had some decent weather and we can get out before or after the rain on days where it has rained. I have been walking. My husband has been running. My son is getting together with one friend to throw and hit. My daughter is using the swing set with a neighbor. Our one principal also sent out a challenge that includes planks, crunches, push ups and squats, another way to stay active. Working out at home, alone, is hard. Sure there are apps and streaming and I even have equipment and videos I could use, but the challenge is the motivation...what's the hurry, I can do it later, I have no where to be and nothing specific to do.

The rest of our time is downtime - movies, shows, internet, video games, and such.

How are you staying active?

Social Distancing

It has been a while...

as a Busy Mom of Two it really shouldn't be a surprise that life gets busy and crazy at times.

In fact, the course of change and challenges in the past week here in the United States is evidence of that.

The stock market. Wow! I don't know what else to say. I am confident in the advice that has been shared, we have never not seen it come back. Right now, looking at my retirement and other funds in the market and seeing the changes year to date is disheartening to say the least.

A week ago was the first confirmed case of Covid19 in Ohio.

Today marks 3 days of Social Distancing for my family.

We learned on Thursday that the schools would be closing for three weeks (plus a fourth week for spring break) at the end of the school day on Friday and that all extra curricular activities will cease until school reopens. My daughter was told to empty her locker and bring everything home. The schools are treating this week as calamity days, since we didn't use any for snow or cold weather days this year. Then, they hope to have a plan on how to support remote learning. I will give both of my kids credit for taking the initiative this morning to do something educational. My daughter read a few chapters in her book and my son read a couple of chapters and worked on some math problems on the homework syllabus they got earlier in the year.

I have been sharing some resources on Facebook for remote learning. I have seen everything from virtual tours of museums and national parks to online art lessons and cooking lessons to rebroadcasting of concerts and shows, that will allow your kids (and you) to be engaged and learning in unique ways. In addition, there are more traditional learning sites for math, reading, and science. I have even seen online gym classes/activities. It is amazing to me how the country is pulling together to make these things available and sharing them. If I get the chance, I will put them all together in one post for more easy reference.

On Saturday, we learned that the library would be closing. We grabbed a movie that we had on hold but opted not to look for additional books or movies at the time.

We learned on Sunday that all bars and restaurants will be closed starting last night at 9 pm. They are allowed to do take-out/delivery but no dining in services. For some of my friends that own restaurants, this will be a tough time. Some haven't had those as part of their standard services in the past and are having to adapt - how do you take orders, how much to prep, etc. I do like that several of the smaller places are setting up family style meals - designed to serve 2, 4 or 6 and with starters, entrees and sides. The local craft breweries and wineries are setting up limited hours to do curbside pick up of their brews and vintages.

We learned today that all gyms, theaters, rec centers, bowling alleys will close at 9 pm today. Logically, I was surprised that they didn't do this earlier. The only one that applied to me was the gyms and I was disappointed. I had been using the pool 5 times a week over the past couple of months. I had even done research to confirm if chlorine in the pool would kill the coronavirus after the first case in Ohio was reported.

Grocery stores seem to be hard hit. Last week I made a mid-week run to the grocery store for a typical shopping trip which turned out to be well-timed as stores were hit pretty hard by the weekend with out of stocks. I did head out Friday to pick up a few things, like a baguette - part of our typical Friday evening snack plan. In our area, they have shortened hours so that they have time to stock the shelves and clean. This weekend, I took inventory of my freezer stock and have a list of things that I hope to pick up to fill out the gaps in what we have on hand. I don't plan to go crazy but to get some stuff to get me through so that I can go to the store less frequently.

What are things like where you live?

Spring Break Staycation - Bowling and Arcade Fun for the Family #StarLanes #Polaris

When I was a kid, Spring Break was just a week off of school. There was one year that we headed on a family vacation to Arizona, but aside from that they were just a week at home. I'm not really sure that I remember that my friends went anywhere either. There wasn't a 'fancy' term for staying home that week, it was just what we did. Nowadays, of course, the practice of staying close to home and enjoying all that your broader community offers has a label - staycation.

Now that I am a mom, we tend to spend the week of spring break close to home. Making some short driving trips, but otherwise spending time with friends. We like to fill the week with activities like bike riding (although it seems to be very windy when we do), bowling, jumping (used to be at an inflatables place, but now we have trampoline places), heading to the playground, swimming at the Y (or a water park) and hanging out with friends. This year our spring break has included play dates with friends, movies, breakfast out, swimming at the Y, board games and sleepovers. Still to come is a chocolate factory tour, movie and lunch at a dine in theater, time with Grandma and Grandpa, a trip to the science center, a visit to the bookstore, bowling and probably more dining out.

Many businesses know that there are many families doing staycations and offer specials during the week. The week before spring break, our local Y sent out a special pool schedule for spring break. I have seen special offers from many other local businesses that know that parents will be looking for something to make the break fun.

If you are in the Columbus area, or close enough to drive, like we are, then you might want to check out the special offer at Star Lanes Polaris. Their special is designed to span several weeks of spring break, so you can take advantage now through April 10th.

Pins, Pop-a-Shot and Pizza

March 16 - April 10

For $15, children ages 12 and under, will receive a kid's meal menu item, game of bowling and shoes and $5 arcard game card.

Available weekdays from 11am to 3pm. Must be accompanied by an adult.

Why not gather together your group of moms (or dads) and plan a playdate at Star Lanes. You can all visit, while the kids play or join in the fun and challenge the kids to a game.

No compensation was received for this post. A promotional gift card was provided for a future visit. All opinions are my own or that of my family.

Weekend Fun - Fancy Nancy & Fribbles

There aren't any Kids Workshops or Build and Grow Clinics this weekend, but if you have a daughter (or niece or granddaughter) that is a fan of Fancy Nancy, you can head to Michaels for Fancy Nancy: Design a Tiara & Storytime. (Imaginative fun for crafty little ladies. Free Make-It Take-It While Supplies Last Ages 3 and up)

Then, since that event runs until noon, while you are out, you can stop at Friendly's for a free Fribble. They are celebrating 76 years of patronage and the future. Limit one per person at participating locations. No purchase required. 12 oz Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry only. I'd call ahead, just in case your location is not a participating location.

Bored No More!

When we travel, we spend time in advance planning for what we will do to fill our days. We try to find interesting things to see and do along our route, as well as look for the hidden gems that our destination has to offer. On many trips, we have seen many unique and interesting things that I wouldn't have known about with some research. As example, when we went to New York, many years ago, we went on a boat ride in an underground lake.

With all of the research and preparation we do for travel, I find it interesting how you can live in a community or part of the country for years and never really find all of the local hidden gems. Is that your experience? We live in North East Ohio, not far from Cleveland. We know many of the "basics" - there is the science museum in Cleveland, a zoo in Cleveland and Akron, used to be an inventors museum in Akron, and there are baseball teams in both Cleveland and Akron. Aside from these stand-by activities, we find ourselves scratching our head when we want to head out and do something new and different.

I was recently introduced to a book series from WonderDads. They offer books featuring "The Best Dad & Child Activities" in a number of cities. We had the opportunity to check out the book for Cleveland.

The book is broken down into a handful of sections - there are Restaurants, Activities, Stores, Outdoor Parks and Recreation, Sporting Events and Unique Adventures. The very first section is the "Best Of" section. It includes top 10 overall best dad/child things to do, and then a number of top 5 lists - including to do on a rainy day, hot day, full day, splurges, and most memorable. Each top 5/10 list includes the page number with information about that item.

As I sit here and glance across the list, many I have heard of, some of them I have been to/done, others are no familiar to me. Most of them are in Cleveland, but there are some that would be more of a day trip. In the Unique Adventures section, they do have listings as far away as the Caribbean though.

Within each section, the lists are alphabetical by location, which are not specific cities but rather neighborhoods, like Summit County North or Summit County South. For each location, they list an address, a phone number, a website (when available) and then a quick blurb about the location. They also mention some specials or offers. In the activities section, they include festivals as well. Not being from the area originally, I never would have known that there was a Frog Jump Festival or a Potato Festival so close to home!

Overall, I found the book to be a nice addition to our home. It gives us the opportunity to find some new to us activities to check out close to home, especially when we feel like we have no ideas. I like that it is all in one place and is organized by type of activity. I think that the "rainy" day and "hot" day lists could come in rather handy on a summer day where the kids are feeling "trapped" by the weather. I think that the guides are perfect for home or might make an interesting travel companion on your next vacation. My only concern on using it for vacation is the way that the sections are sorted by county would make it better for planning in advance than for trying to use it on the fly - at least I don't generally know what county I am in when I am traveling.

When you purchase a book, you also get free access from your smart phone for a year, so that you can have access to the content in the book, special updates and more from your phone. I think this would come in handy. Sometimes when we head out, we find ourselves with some more hours on hand than expected and having access from our phone could help us find another local activity or a restaurant to check out. Also, when you purchase a book, 2% of the profit goes to the WonderDads Fund, which helps dad with a sick child take paid time off from work.

They also have a website (www.wonderdads.com), which provides information on upcoming events and more organized by neighborhood. If you head over to their blog, you will also notice that A Busy Mom of Two was included on the Best Blogs to Tell Your Wife About article. A visit to their bookstore will allow you to check out the different cities that they offer guides for (there are currently 40 locations available), as well as some other "dad" type books. I am thinking of picking up Coach Me Baseball for my husband, since he has been volunteering as a baseball coach for my son's team.

Giveaway!
One A Busy Mom of Two reader will have the chance to win a free copy of a WonderDads Activity Guide for the city of their choice, courtesy of WonderDads.

To enter, visit wonderdads.com and let me know which city you would like to have a WonderDads Activity Guide for.

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Giveaway will remain open until September 15th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. Wonderdads provided me with a copy of a the Activity Guide for the purposes of my review and is providing one for a giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.